Sunday, October 9, 2005

SAINTS FINISH 22ND AND 24TH AT 10TH ANNUAL DISNEY CROSS COUNTRY CLASSIC
Irina Watkins Takes Second in Women's Collegiate Race

Orlando, Fla. – Facing some of the top teams in the southeast, the North Georgia College & State University women's team finished 22nd out of 33 teams and the men finished 24th out of 30 teams.

Irina Watkins

Josh Knapp

Senior Irina Watkins ran her fastest time of the year, clearing the 5k course in a time of 17:49 and taking second in the collegiate race. It marked the second top-five finish this year for the senior from Varkaus, Finland as well as her second sub-18 minute 5k of the season. Coming in second for the Saints was freshman Christina Scott with a time of 22:05 followed by sophomore Kayce Christianson in 22:20. Rounding out the top five for North Georgia was senior Anna Roller in 23:43 along with freshman Loren Blake coming in at 23:49.

The North Georgia women finished with 655 total points in 22nd place. The University of Florida won the women's race, that included 297 runners, with 39 points. Sonja Friend-Uhl won the overall race in 17:20 and Allison Macsas won the collegiate race in a time of 17:34.

For the men, junior Josh Knapp led the men's team for the second straight week in a time of 29:16. Junior Bryan Harris finished second for the men in 29:20 followed by junior Robert Murray in a time of 30:02. Sophomore David Beall and freshman Josh Kerzie took fourth and fifth place for the men in 30:10 and 30:33 respectively.

The Saints finished with 622 points in 24th place. The University of Florida won the men's race with 34 points in an average time of 26:03. Chris Mullaney of the University of Central Florida won the men's collegiate race in 25:39.

The men's and women's cross country teams will take a week off before competing in the Peach Belt Conference Championship on October 22 in Pembroke, N.C.

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